In the early morning we landed at Punta Cormorant on the north end of Floreana Island. We started our exploration through the holly stick forest. These trees and most plants are leafless right now since this is the peak of the dry season in the Galapagos Islands. Here at Punta Cormorant there is a brackish water lagoon, home to the iconic Greater flamingo. This place is also a habitat for herons and other wading birds.
Since early this morning we´ve had interesting sightings! We spotted many types of sea birds fishing and perching on trees and on the rocks of the shore. Once we started the walk we reached a gorgeous beach that happens to be a nesting ground for the Pacific green sea turtles that come by the thousands to nest in Galapagos!
It was 08:00 and it was time to return for breakfast before we continued to explore this paradise. As we had breakfast we weighed anchor and set the ship toward Champion islet. Here we deployed our fleet of Zodiacs to explore the shore. This small islet is like a magnet that draws land and marine life! During the Zodiac ride we spotted many types of sea birds, such as blue footed boobies, Nazca boobies, brown pelicans and tropic birds.
Later on we explored a snorkeling site that happened to be at its best today. Snorkeling was stunning due to the numbers of tropical fish and the number of varieties that make up this complex ecosystem. There are more than 550 species of fish in the Galapagos Islands. And of course, we will not forget the playful young Galapagos sea lions.
In the afternoon we visited the legendary post office barrel of Floreana. It has been there since 1793. This barrel became the most important mechanism of communication on this side of the Pacific Ocean. The users of this system were the English whale hunters. Later on we enjoyed kayaking and Zodiac riding among sea lions. This place is magnificent! There is so much wildlife all around and we even found a Galapagos penguin!
We celebrated the end of the day doing wine tasting. A great ending to a great day.
